Please-do-not-leave condoms.

Along the western part of Gilmore, near the intersection of Columbus, a homeowner posted a sign. She is sick of picking up used condoms from her driveway. “We don’t live in a Third World country!” she exclaims.

Only a block from my own home, this seems like a totally different universe. Each house is locked behind huge iron gates, protected by Pit Bulls and Rottweilers. Our street has large Oak trees. Gilmore has no trees.

During the day, junk trucks are parked here. Other decorative touches: shopping baskets, barking dogs, yards filled with weeds and trash.

The liberal in me wishes that we could all just get along. That “someone” in government would inspect this street and proclaim some law making it civil and pleasant.

The conservative in me observes that the owners of these homes do not care enough to band together to plant trees, or fight blight. So blight finds them.

Isn’t it strange how things work?

Here in Van Nuys

February 5, 2007

Van Nuys and the Valley

4 responses to “Please-do-not-leave condoms.”

Sara

February 7, 2007 at 11:29 pm

I totally stand behind the woman with the “used condom” sign – it’s just disgusting. What really irks me is that we’ve gotten to a point where someone actually HAS to post something like that on their gate because the transgression has already occurred.

I recently moved back to Van Nuys (into a pocket of goodness) and I am amazed at how quickly the scenery changes from block to block. We’re on Enadia Way and our major surrounding streets look like East LA more than the Valley. I’m all in favor of banding together to make a difference, but when your neighbors don’t seem to show interest or are more prone to leave than to stay and defend the homestead – what do you do?

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Rob Dawg

February 5, 2007 at 11:20 pm

please blur the plate. oh, yes, gross but not about urbanism but rather socialization. the people doing this are not criminal but socially dislocated.

And you want police? tough. the LAPD doesn’t “do” the Valley. Haven’t you heard? The brown and the black and the yellow are the priority unless you happen to be brown or black or yellow and in the Valley. Everyone knows about the force distribution including the criminals. This is what you get when you are bot allowed to self govern.

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Andrew

February 5, 2007 at 7:13 pm

Coop-
I totally get it. The issue isn’t the trees, its the street. We have lost control of it. We need a total expansion of the LAPD, with perhaps another 100 officers patrolling Van Nuys. Someone will say “Where did you get 100 from?” I don’t know. I pulled it out of the thin air, because there is an unlimited amount of hookers and illegal aliens (whom I understand comprise 25% of LA’s jail population according to KPCC). So 100 is better than a zero LAPD increase, which is what it seems to be right now.

You chase hookers off one street and they gather on another. You remove the homeless from downtown LA and they set up shop in Studio City and Santa Monica.

Help!

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Coop

February 5, 2007 at 6:56 pm

I have trees on my street, Vallerio, and it’s hooker central. The trees in front of my home just make a great place to hide so strangers can go to the bathroom in my landscaping. Yes, we could all pull together to spice things up but if the cops don’t drive by then it’s not going to do much good. The last time I walked my dogs was a year ago when I ran into 3 used condoms and a small pool of blood. Bummer. We did the neighborhood watch meeting but I’m not sure a lot is getting done at those things.

How hard is it to catch a hooker? They stand outside in plain view in the exacts same spots almost every night of the week. I don’t get what we’re supposed to do but I don’t have room for anymore trees. Help!

Thanks for raising the awareness.

Coop

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